GOP's Sandoval Leading in Nevada Governor Contest, Though Gibbons Gains

Republican Brian Sandoval, a former Nevada attorney general and federal judge, leads scandal-scarred Gov. Jim Gibbons in the race for the GOP gubernatorial nomination and would also beat Democrat Rory Reid, son of Majority Leader Harry Reid, in a general election match-up, according to a poll conducted Feb. 22-24 by Mason-Dixon for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Sandoval, the first Hispanic in Nevada to hold a federal judgeship as well as statewide office, leads Gibbons by 37 percent to 30 percent in the contest for the GOP nomination, with former North Las Vegas Mayor Mike Montandon at 9 percent. Twenty-four percent are undecided. The margin of error for the primary is 6 points.

Fifty-one percent regard Gibbons unfavorably while only 17 percent see him positively, with 31 percent expressing neither opinion. Gibbons has been enmeshed in a nasty divorce, stories about extramarital affairs and charges that he assaulted a cocktail waitress. He testified this week in the case brought against him by the waitress that he had not been intimate with his wife or any other woman since 1995, saying, "I'm living proof that you can survive without sex for that long."

Despite all this, Gibbons gained on Sandoval since last month when Sandoval led him 39 percent to 23 percent. University of Nevada political scientist Erik Herzik told the Journal-Review that Gibbons' courting of "the most conservative wing of the party" helped boost his support because for a third of Republicans, "no new taxes is the only thing they care about." Herzik told the newspaper that Gibbons "could be an ax murderer" as long as he doesn't raise taxes.

But Herzik doesn't think Gibbons stands to gain much more ground.

If Gibbons somehow got the GOP nod again, Reid would be leading him 42 percent to 38 percent with 20 percent undecided. The margin of error for the general election is 4 points.

But if Sandoval is the candidate, he leads Reid 51 percent to 29 percent with 30 percent undecided. Reid draws support from only 55 percent of his fellow Democrats, while 23 percent defect to Sandoval. Sandoval has the support of 84 percent of Republicans and leads among independents by 49 percent to 29 percent, with 22 percent undecided.

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